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FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi boycotts Indian counterpart’s opening statement at SAARC meeting

NEW YORK: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, while boycotting the opening statement of Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at the meeting of the SAARC Council of Foreign Ministers held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session here on Thursday.

“Pakistan will not engage with India until and unless it lifts the curfew in Occupied Kashmir,” Qureshi said in an statement made after the speech by his Indian counterpart.

“Pakistan will not engage with the Butcher of Kashmir until and unless they lift the siege and put an end to atrocities in Occupied Kashmir. They must safeguard human rights of Kashmiris, ensure they are protected and not violated or trampled upon,” he added.

FM Qureshi said the member countries of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) had unanimously agreed to hold the next summit level meeting in Pakistan.

Qureshi also held that India won’t be participating in the next summit in Pakistan.

The foreign minister said the last SAARC summit was scheduled to be held in Islamabad in 2016, which could not be held due to Indian objections. However, India this time remained silent in that regard, he added.

News Pakistan

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M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.